Loss
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: How did Naruto feel in the years before Hollow? Just how did he become a cold blooded killer? This is his story, the untold tale of the three years leading up to his return. Fluff, angst and character death NarutoxLilinette. Bleach x-over.
1. Chapter 1

**This is an interlude before Hollow took place, right after Naruto became the primera. This will also explain why he became cold. You see, he had a fraccion before Nina. I lied back then before, kinda sorta. And remember Yoruichi's reference to him kissing someone three years ago?**

**That story is about to be explained.**

**In other words, three years earlier...**

**--**

"Oi gaki, what's your name?" He asked, as he slipped on a fresh white robe and hakama.

His old clothes were too bloodstained to continue wearing.

Nor did he want to wear them anyways.

"Lilinette, Sir" the young girl answered in response to her new superior's question of what her name was.

"Lilinette... is that French?" he asked.

"How should I know?" stated the girl, dropping all formality.

He sighed.

Aizen had _insisted_ that this girl become his fraccion, swearing by her skills and release form, but he still felt a little…apprehensive.

First off, the girl seemed incredibly…what was the word? "Loose Cannon". She seemed like the partying type from the second she walked in the door; and that was just her reiatsu. The other thing that tipped him off was her outfit: he had seen _doilies_ with more material to them. Still though, it wasn't wise to distrust Aizen-sama.

It was never wise to distrust someone who gave you power without asking anything in return, given you a home, and promised you hapiness.

Or so one would think.

He played with a strand of blond hair for a moment, before shrugging, and jabbing a finger towards the opposite door adjacent to him.

"Meh, whatever. Go decorate your room or something."

She seemed rather annoyed at this.

"Hey!"

"Hay is for horses." He replied blandly, sitting back against some pillows in his still sparse room.

A tick mark appeared on her brow.

"You're annoying, you know that?"

He rolled over to look at her.

"Hey, you wanna get a bite to eat?"

She blinked.

"H-Huh? Sure, I guess."

Grunting, he picked himself up, and walked over to where he kept his pack.

"Hope you like instant ramen."

"Ra-men? The heck is that?"

He facefaulted, nearly dropping the noodles.

"You don't know what ramen is?!"

She blinked her light violet eyes once. **(I changed her mask. It doesnt cover her eye now)**

He set it down before her.

"Here. Careful, its-

He paled as she started in on it without a moments hesitation, picking up the pace.

"This is good!"

And so begins the tale...


	2. Chapter 2

(Morning)

It was a simple day, much like any other.

Naruto was napping.

That is...

Until he felt a finger shoved down his throat!

"GAH!"

He abruptly sat up, choking on his own spit, and holding his throat as the offensive digit was removed.

"Gonna puke!"

Laughter sounded in his ears.

"You're up!"

He stopped hacking to look in the direction of the offender.

Blue eyes narrowed to slits as she changed from her relaxed posture to flash him the peace sign, closing her pink eyes as she did so, the smile completing the look of perfect innocence.

"Morning, Naruto-sama!"

He panted a few more times before he could manage to get her name out.

"Lilenette?"

Half groaning half sighing, as he was too tired to chase after her, he raised a gloved hand, and held it out to her in a gesute of 'stop'

"Give me a break...

His head fell back down upon the remainder of his pillows seconds later, his eyes drifting shut-

"Don't go back to sleep!"

"Fwah!" Was the sound he made when the air wheezed out of his lungs, thanks to her feet sinking into his side from above.

Immediately, his eyes snapped open, but by this point she had squirmed atop him, and was now sitting on his chest. Before he could say or do anything about the comrpomising position...

She proceeded to beat the living tar out of him with her fists.

"Come on! Wake up! Wake up!"

When he blows eventually became ineffective...

She resorted to a more simplistic method of rousing her master.

Tickling.

His one weakness at the time.

The surprised blond cried out and thrashed about as her delicate fingers probed into the muscles skin of his gut.

"Hey! Sorry Hey, hey stop it Lillenette-Uwah! Hey you, not there! I'm ticklish!"

"I'll stop if you wake up!" She chirped, never letting up in her torture for a second, scarcely giving him time to breathe as she did so.

"S-Stop! Stop!"

"Up, up, up, up, up!"

At last she did stop, leaving one panting Naruto beneath her, as he gasped for the air she had deprived him.

"Phew! Don't do that again!"

She leaned back on him, a serious look on her face now, her palms upon his chest for balance, sadness reflecting in her pink eyes.

"They killed Zonmari."

He squinted one blue eye open, whiping sweat from his brow.

She was referring to that vizard brat.

"I know."

She seemed to stiffen.

"You're _okay_ with that?"

He seemed to stare up at her for a few moments, and to her, those few seconds lasted an eternity.

At last, he spoke.

"What would you have me do about it?"

"Kill him." She replied simply.

He sighed, and she got off him as he rose.

"I might do that."

--

(Noon)

"Left."

CLANG!

"Right."

CLANG!

Sparks flew time and time over as the zanpaktou bounced off each other, unable to maintain their hold for but a moment.

Green eyes narrowed slightly, as he saw that his opponent was not fighting with the vigor he had displayed yesterday, upon devouring Luisbarn.

That being that he had become too predictable in his movements.

"Something troubles you, Uzumaki?"

The Primera wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

Contrary to before, he no longer gelled his hair up, and instead allowed the blond locks to fall down into his face, obscurring one eye from view, while still allowing him to see.

"No."

Schiffer nodded.

"Very well then. Please permit me to go all out."

Naruto's eyes tripled, as the Espada tossed his blade into the air.

"Kuso!"

"Bind: _Murciélago_** (黒翼大魔 (ムルシエラゴ) Japanese for "giant black winged demon," Spanish for "bat")**

A black flash of light consumed the area, and then faded.

His released form had created two giant wings on Ulquiorra's back, his hair becoming longer and more feral as his hollow helmet centered atop his head, sporting two large horns. His arrancar outfit also appeared more form fitting at the top, becoming robe-like towards the bottom.

He gazed coldly at Naruto, fully aware that if he pushed the blond too far, a pissed off Primera was liable to wipe half the continent clear off the map.

"Care to tell me now?"

Surprisingly, the blond unclasped his blade, not releasing it, and straightening himself up.

"Its my fraccion."

"Lillienette?"

Naruto nodded.

"She's a bit of a handful."

"She does not seem to think the same of you." Stated the espada blandly, but if you listened closely enough, it was anything but bland.

He sounded amused.

Naruto did a double take.

"Come again?"

In a flash of dark light, Ulquiorra resealed his powers.

He then reached up to his eye, held it in a pallid palm, then crushed it into fine powder.

"Let me show you."

The dust swirled about Naruto, and he saw thousands of images all at once, accompanied by sounds, as if UYlquiorra were talking to the girl directly.

_So what do you think of Naruto-sama?_

_He's...nice._

_How so?_

_He...um...gave me ramen. And he seems...sad somehow._

_Sadness is a sign of weakness. Do you hate that in him?_

The question seemed to shock her.

_No! How could I-What the heck does that mean?! Why would I hate him?! He's really nice to me!_

The grainy images died away now.

"She looks up to you."

The blond turned away to one side.

"I'm...not the best of role models."

"You needn't be. She is there only to _serve_ you."

Pervert that he was, the jinchuuriki took it the wrong way entirely.

"W-What?!"

"I meant it as I said. The sole purpose of a Fraccion is to serve the espada who commands them."

"BULLSHIT!"

His whiskered face had been darkening all the while, as if a storm were brewing.

And now it broke.

"You know what, Ulquiorra? You are _really _pissing me off today!"

"Then attack me."

This achieved the desired effect, as Naruto now tilted his blade to an 80 degree angle.

"Behold-

--

Halibel arched a golden eyebrow as Ulquoirra limped into the infirmary, sporting all manners of cuts and gashes, along with a missing left arm.

"Is he alright?"

The 4th managed a weak nod as he sat down upon the cot to be treated by Inoue, whom he had captured from Konoha just days before, under Aizen-sama's orders.

The Leaf had been in turmoil since Naruto's depature, and now less than a month later, their best medic had been stolen from them. Granted Ichigo Kurosaki, Konoha's new hotshot, had come after her.

He had killed Zonmari in the process, but-

He had failed to retrieve his friend, and as a result, the spot for Septima espada was still open.

Ulquiorra already knew Yoruichi was going to fill it, so there was no point in bickering with the other arrancar over who deserved it the most.

True, the Godess of Flash was far stronger then that paltry rank, as was Kaien who had taken over Aaroniero Arruruerie's rank of Novena...

But they were close friends of Naruto, and seemed to be quite content in keeping their ranks, as did the newest espada, a foulmouthed redhead who had killed off Yammy rather easily, thus disrupting the ranks even more, and demoting Syazel in the process.

"Sante Keshun."

A small sigh escaped the lips of the Cuarta espada, his limb was restored, basking in the golden glow which rejected all of his injuries.

"He will be, Halibel."

--

The blond shook his head of blood stains, walking down the corridor to his quarters.

He could smell something, a distinctive aroma wafting down the halls.

"She must be cooking again....

His hand grasped the handle, turned it...

Lillenette looked up as Naruto walked in.

"Hello!" She chirped cheerily, pausing from what she was doing, to wave her fingers daintly.

Naruto grunted, then headed towards his pile of pillows in the the bleach white room-

Or rather, what had been white.

His jaw droped, and seconds later, he burst back into Lilenette's room.

"What the hell did you do?!"

She blinked, as if confused.

"Ulquiorra-sama said your favorite colors were orange, right Naruto-sama?"

The blond was red with rage, and looked about ready to rip her head off.

"Do you want some ramen?"

He blinked, momentarily lost.

"Ramen? You learned how to make it in a _day_?"

"Mm-hmm!" She chirped, pointint to a series of cookbooks off to one side. "I did a lot of reading!"

The jinchuuriki frowned.

You didn't need a cookbook to make ramen...

Naruto looked down at the pale broth and paled as she set the noodles into a cup for him.

"Go on, go on! Give it a taste!"

Her eyes were eager, and he knew there would be no way of faking it down.

But did he dare even _try_ it?

He took the chopsticks up from the table...


	3. Chapter 3

**Note, Naruto's zanpaktou has many forms, reflecting the changed states of his soul. Right now, he is rather vicious and nasty, therefore, his blade will mirror it. When he mellows out, his sword reflects that side of him.**

_Somehow_, he downed the foul slop that was the ramen. Lillenette was watching him the entire time, so he didn't even have a chance to fake eating. Now, he felt like was going to vomit it back up. He was forced to swallow the gunk, and then _keep it down._

Needless to say, the results were not very pleasant.

"BLEH!" He cried, as he spat the stuff right back out, puking it into a nearby trash can.

"You didn't like it?" She asked innocently.

"Like it?!" He all but snarled, slapping his hands down upon the white porcelain table. "I could barely keep that stuff _down _you little twerp!That had to be the _worst-_

A sniffle, and her lower lip trembled slightly.

"I worked really hard on it...

He faltered, unsure of what to do at her sudden change of mood.

_'Gah, maybe I was too harsh on her..._

By now tears were welling up in her pink eyes.

_'Ah crap, now she's gonna cry...._

"B-But you d-didn't like it at all? N-Not even a little b-bit?"

"Um...I guess it could've been better?"

"WAH! You're mean!"

Ignoring him completely, she threw the ramen cup across the room, then threw herself down on the pillows. She started crying seconds later, and quite loudly so. After trying to plug his ears, an effort which still did not drown out her sobs, the primera finally had enough.

"ALRIGHT! I'll teach you how to cook, just stop _crying_, damnit!"

Abruptly, Lillenette's hissy fit ceased.

"Nani?" She lifted her head up from the pillows.

"I said I'll teach you to cook." The blond grumbled under his breath, his face set in a deep scowl as he looked away from her. "Just stop yer bawling. It makes ya look weak." Surprisingly, his offer produced a rather unexpected result.

He staggered back as Lillenette crossed the small distance between then, then wrapped her arms tightly around him. It was a classic glomm attack, and he never saw it coming, nor did he have the slightest chance of defending against it.

"Gah! What the hell're you doing?!"

Now she was staring up at him with eagerness in her eyes.

"Really? You can cook, Naruto?"

"Of course I can cook! At least better than you!"

"You'll really teach me?"

"Sure, but stop crushing me!"

"Really?!" She squealed upon releasing him. "Yatta! This'll be fun!"

This was accompanied by a facefault from her master.

"Ye lord, what have I done to deserve this?"

--

**(Background music creeping shadows, from bleach OST)**

He ran into the last person he wanted to see, as he stalked down the halls.

Yammy.

"The hell happened to you?"

"A hurricane." The blond grumbled under his breath.

For some strange reason, the hulking giant found this funny.

"HA! You need to control that bitch of yours!"

His deep booming laughter grated upon the jinchuuriki's ears.

Honestly, he despised the brutish decima of an espada. The irony of it was that he actually got along particularly well with Nnoitra and Grimmjow, perhaps the two most bloodthirsty arrancar of the entire bunch.

However, there was something in him that absolutely _loathed _Yammy.

He was overconfident for starters.

Many had been the occasion that someone had beat him senseless for his stupidity. And many was the time that he did not learn from his mistakes. He was greedy, selfish, rude, and worst of all, a pervert.

Granted, Nnoitra _was_a lecher in that department, but he knew better than to try anything with Lillenette. For that Naruto tolerated, and even got along well with him.

Yammy however, overstepped his boundaries. Just the other day, he caught the brutish man actually _harassing_ Lillenette. Whilst his fraccion insisted that she was fine, the actions of Yammy had been irking Naruto for quite some time now.

And it was now, that it came to a head.

"Shut up you fool."

"Eh?" Yammy peered down at him. "You backsassing me like that bitch?"

A vein pulsed in Naruto's head.

"What was that?"

His eyes, a calm blue, were now a fierce angry red.

He was _not_ in the mood for this.

"I said-

The blond flicked his wrist.

A massive bala smacked into the decima, catapulting him through a wall, which crumbled away from the impact.

As his consciousness faded, so did the words Naruto left him with, spoken even as he walked.

"Shut up, you fool. Remember your place in this world, and hold fast to it." A hand now seized Yammy up by his collar, bringing him close to Naruto. Despite the fact that Yammy was easily twice his size and weight, the jinchuuriki hefted him up with one hand, as if he were a paperweight.

"Bastard...Yammy wheeezed.

A sinister, chilling laugh escaped the primera. His grip shifted to clamp around Yammy's tan throat. Slowly, he began to squeeze. "Bastard? I've been called that many times. And let me assure you, I've _earned_ that title."

Yammy was wheezing now, his hand clutching futiley at the blond, but his skin was suddenly boiling hot to the touch. Try as he might, he simply could not lay a hand on the espada.

"Listen, and listen well, Yammy. I may not fit in here, but let me tell you this, I belong here. I thought I made my point when I killed Barragan, but you didn't seem to get the message. Like Zommari, I'm going to let you _live_ with the shame of being beaten by trash."

He dropped Yammy, who fell to his hands and knees, gasping for breath.

But before he could even draw in air, a solid kick to the face threw him out of the room. With a howl, he exploded into the atrium of the castle, and through the hole, Naruto came right after him. He stood over him like a god, dark and imposing. Capable of snuffing out his existence in an instant.

Yammy opened his mouth, and red light began to shine at the back of his throat. It built up until it was a raw ruby crimson color. "Sonova bitch! TAKE THIS!"

Naruto waited until the cero had screamed across the abyss, before acting. He raised one hand, and the attack froze, just as it touched his palm. The shellshocked expression from Yammy was rather priceless.

He held up the cero, then fed his own energy into it, turning the pallid red a deep void black color. Light darker than space itself now illuminated the room blackish white, hovering in his open palm like a small orb.

"You see, unlike you, I'll go to great lengths to get what I want."

He clenched his fist, and the surrounding area of Yammy exploded into dust and dirt. As the smoke cleared, Yammy was badly burned, and lying on his back. As Naruto approached, he wheezed out a question.

Clearly, that attack had broken his ribs.

"Why do I serve Aizen you ask? Simple." He planted a foot on Yammy's stomach, and began to press down, right where it hurt. Amidst the giant's screams, he spoke, as if this were a simple matter of the weather, not ruthlessly attacking a comrade. "He gives me what I want. We share the same goal, the same vision for this wretched world."

He paused, then delivered a brutal kick to the espada's ribs.

"And it will be accomplished without scum like you. If you lay a hand of Lillenette, if a single drop of her blood spills, I'll rip out your spine and feed it to the dogs. Do you understand me?" Yammy just glared at him.

An elbow to his neck knocked him out.

"It was nice chatting with you."

**(Music ends)**

--

Aizen quirked an eyebrow when Naruto walked into his office. "Ah, how is the cooking class coming?" Naruto shot the kage a withering glare that would've made a lesser man cower in fear. "How does it look like its coming?!"

"Quite well, from my point of view."

Contrary to his normally bland appearance, the former missing nin now sported several bad burns about his body. But that alone was not the worst of it. His hair, which he usually kept down to remain inconspicuous, was sticking out on end, in a rather comical fashion. His white hakama and the rest of him was covered in soot, indicating that the tremor Sosuke had felt before was indeed an explosion.

"She tried to use a cero to heat the noodles." Groaned the blond.

"Did it work?" Inquired Aizen, as he nonchalantly pulled out a folder from his drawer.

"No, it _did not _work! She nearly blew up half of Las Noches!"

Aizen was unfazed at the mention of Iwa's secret base, where the elites, a.k.a the espada and arrancar resided. To most of Iwa, they believed the espada to be a simple higher tier of ninja, those who only accepted the highest of mission. In regards to just what an arrancar was, they couldn't have been more wrong.

They were something else entirely.

And Naruto was now one of them, thanks to a little something called the Hogyoku.

"Good. Then she's just as powerful as I told you."

"AGH!" He growled as he rung his hands through his hair, clearing out the soot and dirt. "Do you even hear yourself half the time?!"

"Of course." Replied Sosuke, as he dug out a file from the folder. "And now I want you to listen to this:

The espada leaned against the wall.

"If its a mission, I'm all ears."

"It is. But first, I would like to talk with you about the events of this morning."

Naruto knew he was referring to Yammy.

"If you want an apology, then don't hold your breath."

"Quite the contrary. During this mission, I want you to find a suitable replacement for him."

"Say what?"

"I am sending him and Ulquiorra on a mission while you are away. I have reason to believe he will encounter..._unfortunate _circumstances. Therefore, I would like you to select his potential successor."

"Deal. Now what is this mission?"

"Your task...

His eyes seemed to gleam now.

"Is to assassinate Orochimaru. I'm sure you're aware that a few of our allies have been swayed to his side?" He was referring to the hundred or so lesser arrancar that had recently defected to the Sound. It had been a repercussion of recruiting Naruto, and at the time, it hadn't been a concern.

However, word had reached his ears through Gin, a.k.a the Raikage, that certain 'experiments' were being conducted. Those weak numeros that had left him, were no longer quite so weak anymore.

Something had to been done.

And therefore, he was sending his left hand man. It could not be helped that he always considered Gin to be his right hand. After all, he had followed him before Naruto had even entered the picture.

"I am aware of it."

"They've taken to allying themselves with the shinigami."

Naruto drew in a sharp hiss.

"That...could be a problem."

"I want you to kill them. Kill them all."

The grin that Naruto wore would have rivaled Nnoitra's, had he been there at the moment. It was savage and bloodthirsty, without the slightest trace of humanity to be seen. This was a different Naruto, a dark and twisted version of what he had been three months ago.

"Now _that's_ a mission."

A trace of his reaitsu leaked out, indicating that he was excited.

"Who can I bring?"

Aizen chuckled lightly. This mission had been collecting dust for quite some time now, and he was right to bring it out into the light. This would be just the kind of mission that would test Naruto's skills.

"Whomever you want."

"Good. Then I'll get a team together-

"Naruto. I wasn't finished."

The blond stopped as he had been halfway out the door.

"The raikage has taken a..._personal interest_ in this mission as well."

"What, he's sending his own team?" Naruto seemed a tad disappointed now as he turned to close the door behind him, and re-entered the room.

"Not quite. He's just sending over an old friend of yours."

"Old friend? Who the hell're you-

A silent whoosh signalled that someone was here, then a cloud of steam made that abundantly clear. He blinked, as violet hair blew past his face. Golden eyes glinted behind him in the dark, and her lips drew upward in a smile.

"Aw, did you forget about me already?" Purred a familiar voice.

He unfortunately made the mistake of turning around.

Stand before him was a very _naked _woman.

"GAH! YOU!" He cried, jabbing a finger at her.

"I have a name, you know." She pouted, folding her arms across an ample chest.

"Damnit Yoruichi! Get some friggin' clothes on!"

Aizen did something rare just then.

He laughed.

Naruto's head snapped around. If Sosuke was laughing, then that meant something. Whether it was a good something or a bad something, well that depended on his mood.

"Ah, this brings back pleasant memories." He began....

Oh yes, this was bad!

Naruto turned crimson as Yoruichi shamelessly dressed herself in front of him.

"H-Hey! That was a long time ago! There's no need for us to be reminiscing on that!"

Yoruichi however, smirked as she tied her hair back into the obi. "I don't mind. Besides, I'm sure some people wonder what you were like before you came here."

"But what about the mission?!"

"It can wait for a scene." This came from Aizen.

"So its decided then!" Declared Yoruichi. Almost as an afterthought, she added with a smile:

"Why don't you come in, Lillenette? We were just about to have a flashback."

The door creaked open, and the fraccion walked in, much to Naruto's dismay.

"So, what're we talking about?" She asked inquisitively.

"Well, we're going to let everyone know what Naruto did before he came here."

"You mean before Konan-san?"

Naruto flushed a beet red, but Aizen and Yoruichi seemed amused.

"Ah, I see you're well informed." He commented. "In that case, we'll leave out that part, and stick with the rest."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Grumbled Naruto.

He was met with silence.

"Oh alright! I'll tell the story!"

**An important Flashback is up next! Dont miss it!**

**Next time: Shadows revealed. The full story of how Naruto became an espada!**


	4. Chapter 4

Pein arched an eyebrow as the dome of chakra continued to increase.

"This is-

The blond whispered the last word.

"Rasenshuriken."

He released his hold on the massive sphere.

Then the forest went to hell in a hand basket.

--

Voices, hushed murmurings, and a few shouts here and there.

"Sorry, but I can't let you take him, Akatsuki-san."

"And who are you, to tell me what to do?"

"Perhaps _this _will change your mind?"

"What is-

"Bankai. Slaughter: Benihime!"

A dull thud.

"Urgh! I shall withdraw...for now."

A figure stood over him, as he struggled to open his eyes.

"Sleep." The shadowy individual whispered, pressing a hand over Naruto's face.

Then silence, as he passed out.

For a time, it stayed like that.

He hung in the abysmal darkness, waiting for death to take him. However, it was a long time in coming, and he couldn't honestly be sure just what was happening to him now.

He paused and let the blackness take him again.

A voice, resonating in his head.

_For the sake of others, I stand._

The sounds of the living world came creeping back into his ears.

At first, he was only able to make out brief snippets.

"Oh my...

_For the sake of others, I cry out._

"Shit, he's lost alot of blood!"

_For the sake of others..._

"Idiot! What was he thinking?!"

"Quiet Jinta!"

_I fall...._

_"You suck!" _laughed the voice.

_--_

His eyes snapped open, and he cried out in pain.

"So, how are you feeling?"

He rose and coughed harshly, holding his bandaged chest.

"Ugh...

"You collapsed at my doorstep." Explained the voice, flicking on the light. "If Tessai hadn't treated your wounds, you might've died."

The blond winced in pain.

He'd gone all out, just barely warding off Pein-

But in doing so, he had left Konan behind.

Along with most of his heart.

He just now noticed the stranger.

He wore traditional Japanese wooden sandals (_geta_) and a bucket hat. He also wore a coat that bore some resemblance to a Shinigami captain's _haori_.

"Then I owe you my thanks."

Kindly brown eyes crinkled in a smile.

"Urahara. Urahara Kisuke."

"Ya got anything to eat?"

He wasn't in the mood for formalities, or trivialities.

"But of course!" Replied Kisuke.

Naruto frowned as he fished through his pockets.

"I don't have any money, so I won't be able to pay you."

"Nonsense!" Insisted his fellow blond waving a hand dismissively. "We'll work out the payment in a different way."

"And what might that be?"

Urahara's eyes strayed to the sword Naruto had lying with his things. _'As I thought, that blade belonged to..._ He seemed to stare at the elegant blade for an eternity, before finally speaking.

"Just how skilled are you in kenjutsu?"

"What?"

"That is to say, do you posses any skill in the art of the sword?"

"A little." Replied the jinchuuriki. "Why do you ask?"

The shop owner tilted his hat down. "Then it is settled. "If you train with me for ten days, then I'll give you free room and board until your wounds heal. I'll even resupply you when you leave.

The blond stared at him as if he were crazy.

"That's it? No other strings attached?"

"It will not be easy, Uzumaki-san." Warned the shop owner. "You might not even make it past the first day, let alone the full ten days."

"Oh yeah?! Hat n' clogs, ya got yerself a deal!"

--

Kisuke Urahara watched as Naruto drew the blade.

It was coming.

"First, show me your speed. You may use any method you please, so long as it involves the use of a sword."

Naruto smirked, and held up a hand.

"Then I'll use _this."_

Running the hand along the blade, the steel was abruptly covered in what had to be a cyclone of pure wind chakra. What made the technique particularly interesting, and dangerous, was the fact that the blade still possessed a wicked cutting edge underneath all that bunched up chakra.

He raised high the blade, and his eyes glinted red.

"Secret Kenjutsu:

"Utau, Benihime" This time, instead of a red blast of reaitsu being thrown from the blade, it seemed to seep out, creating a shield in front of the blonde man.

"Kaze: RASENSHURIKEN SURAISU!! **(Cutting wind slash)**The shield was raised, just in time, as the Rasenshuriken exploded in a whitish blue energy. The wind jutsu struck the blood mist shield, and though the edges of it were eroded badly, the figure behind it was unharmed.

"Not bad." Replied Urahara with a smile.

--

(Ten days later)

"Ja ne, hat n' clogs." Called the missing nin, as he headed down the dirt rod. He was now fully resupplied, and had even been given a guide to lead him to his next destination. He was now headed to the abode of one Kukaku Shiba.

During his ten day training period, the blond had expressed a sincere desire to get stronger. When asked why, he said that it was to avenge the life of a loved one, and nothing else.

He'd come as far as he could be taught in ten days, so Urahara was sending him to this 'Kukaku' person, for further training. When asked just what this person would be training him in, Urahara said it was a secret.

It felt good to have a purpose in this life again.

Urahara and his shop staff waved goodbye to the wayward traveler.

"Good luck Uzumaki-san!"

"Take care of him, Tessai!"

---

(Town streets)

"Hey, you! two!"

Two men turned to see someone headed their way. They now wore long dark cloaks, and a cowl that obscured their faces, and their hands were hidden in long sleeves. One, the taller of the two wore a sword on the back, the other had no weapon to be seen.

"Do you want to fight him?" Asked the first, his voice indicating that he was male, and he was the taller of the two. From within his cowl, concerned eyes shone.

They kept walking, but still he followed after them.

"Hey, I'm talkin' to you!"

"He'll bring backup trouble for sure if we don't so something about him." Replied the second.

"I know." Replied the other.

"We shouldn't have come this way." The one with the sword grumbled.

"This is the only way." Replied the man stoically.

"Do _you_ want to fight him?" Asked the sword user.

"No." Replied the burly man.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" Grumbled the second, the one with the sword. He stared in the direction of the approaching warrior, then rolled his shoulders in a shrug.

_'This is what we get for trying to take a shortcut through the Mist village.'_

"Go on ahead, I'll handle him."

Tessai nodded, and disappeared from sight.

"Hey. So tell me, why didn't you run away like your friend?" Asked the man as he stopped running, having caught up to him. Over his shoulders he carried a a sword, though it was still strapped in its thick sheathe.

A crowd had begun to gather, and could be heard in the background.

When the robed man didn't answer, the bald man attempted to provoke him. "He obviously ran because he sensed my powers were far superior to his own."

A few laughs.

A glint in his eye, and it was not a pleasant one.

"If you ask me, I think he made a pretty wise decision."

"If you're really stronger than me, then there's no point in running." Replied the stranger, killing the amusement. "If your power is greater than mine, then its useless to run, you'd catch me for sure."

With a small rasp, he drew a gleaming blade from the sheathe on his back. It was an elegantly crafted blade, its edge seemed to gleam like a thousand diamonds. The stranger paused to marvel at the blade the intruder wielded.

"However, if my power is greater, then I'll just defeat you and be on my way." Replied the cowled man.

Now it was dead silent.

"Is that so?" Snorted the man. "Guess you're not stupid after all."

The air was rife with tension.

Each of them waited for a move to be made-

"HYA!" Cried the bald man, lashing out with incredible speed, his blade digging deep-

Into the earth, as the stranger stepped away.

**(Background music: Bleach OST Frenzied battle)**

_'He dodged it!'_

The man skidded back, then came at him, swinging overhead-

And was blocked.

"Using your sheathe, eh?"

He pressed down harder-

With one hand.

His free hand now seized the bald man by the chest, and forced him down to the ground.

He stood over the man and shook his head in disappointment, his katana held to the throat of the that could be seen within the hood, were a pair of annoyed, cold blue eyes which seemed to glimmer with untold sadness. They met a pair of startled, confused black eyes, which stared back up at him.

"Idiot. _You _shoulda run."

The sword split the ground where the man had been just a second ago. He had somehow rolled away, and come up against the trunk of a tree. Seconds later, he was gone again, as the oak split down the middle.

He reappeared, crouching on his knees, panting heavily.

The warrior was a stocky man, his sword lying on the ground next to him. Sweat dripped off his bald head and onto his chin, and his eyes, which had red marks at their corners, were narrowed into pained slits. The sweat fell to the ground in a slow drip-drip.

"That was...impressive." The robed one admitted, bringing his sword back around, "I did not think you had that kind of speed."

The figure threw his sword up into the air, then jerked his head slightly to the left as it came back down. With a small clack, it slid effortlessly into the sheathe strapped on his back. **(Trunk's sword)**

"However, speed alone will not be enough to get you through this fight, especially when I did not wish to fight you in the first place." A small sigh escaped him, as he saw the man's fingers tighten on his own hilt. "Are you _still_ going to come at me?"

Much to his surprise, the bald man laughed, taking up his sword as he rose.

"Of course! I haven't had a fight like this in _ages!"_

Naruto shook his head and sighed.

"You, what's your name?"

"I only give my name to those I intend to kill." Stated the bald proudly, holding up both his hilt and blade in a stance.

"Well then, _you_ are an idiot." Replied the other."You've picked possibly the _worst_person in the world to piss off." When Ikkaku did not respond, this only served to further exasperate him. "Do you have any _idea_ who I am?"

"My opponent of course!" Replied Ikkaku, and the stranger swayed away from the low strike. The thrust had left the attacker wide open, and now the tables turned in a vicious display of blood. Whipping the sword around, the blond slashed at the bald man's face, nicking him just above the eye, then delivered a vicious boot to the face to accompany the blow.

Ikkaku was launched away, but dug his blade into the ground, slowing his skid.

_'Fast! He's nearly on par with me!'_

The blond stepped forward, and somehow got in front of him again. Not even wasting a breath to speak, he seized the blade by its edge, and ignoring how it bit into his skin, _yanked_the bald man forward, and into the air, so as to impale him on the blade. It didn't work, as Ikkaku kicked off with his feet in midair, twisting out of harm's way, and preparing his counter.

As he spun, he slashed at the hood, ruining it as his blade took off a good portion of it. Had his enemy not thrust with his own weapon, Ikkaku might've taken his head clear off.

"You're good." He smirked upon landing.

"You're bleeding, replied the blond, noting how the blood was now pooling into the left eye of his adversary.

"Heh, no problem."

He removed the bottom of his hilt, and dipped a finger into it. It looked to be ointment of some kind, and he rubbed it over the wound. Almost immediately, the bleeding stopped.

"Impressive." Complimented the blond. "That's blood clotting ointment in there, isn't it?"

"Sharp. Who's your master?"

Naruto held the blade before himself in two hands.

"Well, I can't really say he was my _master_, since I only trained with him for ten days."

A moment of silence hung in the air.

"Who is he?"

"Urahara, Kisuke. He was my sensei."

This achieved a surprising reaction.

Ikkaku blinked, eyes widening for a moment.

The man reached up to his hood, and pulled it aside. Smooth blond locks, which he no longer gelled down, were exposed, as was the scratched headband he wore. **(Note, his hairstyle is currently similar to Ichigo's)**

"Now, let us continue."

Now Ikkaku's eyes narrowed into slits as a feral smirked tugged his lips upward into an almost psychotic grin.

"Oh, so you're _that_guy. The one who slaughtered half his village, just like Itachi."

He threw his head back and laughed abandonding his stance. "This is great! It really _is_my lucky day! Running into someone like you here, and a pupil of Urahra nonetheless!" He did a _ridiculous _dance, one that made his opponent sweatdrop. "Fighting you like this, it must be fate!"

_'The hell was that? This one's friggin weird..._

The missing nin blinked in surprise as the blade began to glow abruptly. The afterglow soon moved to the hilt itself, and then covered both sword and sheathe.

The bald man was now exuding a strange energy. He stopped laughing, and took up his blade and sheathe, then pressed them together. "So, It'd probably be rude if I held back anymore....

"What the-

"Grow: Hozukimaru!"

Much to Naruto's surprise, the weapon changed right before his very eyes. Both hilt and sword merged, forming a wooden spear with a long tip, and a red horsehair tassel at its pommel.

"Don't be so surprised, gaki. If you misread me, it's all over."

He now jammed its pommel into the ground.

"I'm not a kid." Replied the blond, preparing to move-

"Wait."

Ikkaku surprised him by holding up a hand.

"Now what?"

"Almost forgot, I never told ya my name."

"Ikkaku Madarame." He still held the superior tone as he spoke, as if this enemy were beneath him.

"I thought you only gave your name to those you intended to kill?" Replied the blond, his right hand reaching back to his hilt as it was sheathed again. The fingers curled and uncurled around its soft hilt, preparing to draw it loose.

The bald man laughed.

"Exactly."

The silver blade flew out of its sheathe just before the blow came. It was now coated in chakra, which he had stored inside the scabbard for just such a purpose.

That little extra layer of defense likely saved his life.

Sparks flew as he slammed aside Ikkaku's thrust, embedding the pommel into the ground. Madarame yanked it out in a heartbeat, then spun it like a pole, clearly intending to drive his target back. This failed, as instead of falling back...

The blond held his ground.

Ducking low, he let the tip twirl over his head, then slashed up in a lightning fast motion. In doing so, he stopped the spin, and forced the spear up. Shifting his grip to a more underhand swinging style, he relished in the surprised expression Ikkaku now wore. Gripping tightly the hilt, then swung in a low right arc, clearly intending to cleave of the baldy's head.

Ikkaku just grinned.

"Split apart: Hozukimaru!"

Much to his surprise, the spear _split _into three separate sections. And now the tip of those sections was about to pierce his eye! Blood sprayed through the air like a small geyser, and he skidded back.

"Does it hurt?" Taunted Ikkaku....

As blood dripped from his right hand.

"You probably can't even hold a sword with that hand anymore." He jeered.

The blond looked down at his hand...

"C'mon, give yourself up. Its over."

And clenched it into a fist.

_"Let's kick his ass!" _cried the voice.

His eyes glimmered red, and he chuckled darkly.

"Give up? You haven't even seen half of what I can do. Besides-

The ground cratered under his feet, and that was the only warning Madarame received.

A sharp headbutt jarred Ikkaku's senses, cutting off the swing before it could be completed. Naruto was now on him like ugly on an ape, and grinning with all the glee of a psychotic killer.

"I'M JUST STARTING TO HAVE FUN!"

Hozukimaru nicked the side of his cheek, but the berserk jinchuuriki didn't seem to care, judging by his wild laugh. Never once did he let up his attacks, even as the spear slashed at his eye. He was getting bloodied now, but he seemed to be _enjoying_ it. "Oh this is FUN!" He cackled, as he forced Ikkaku down and back. "I haven't fought someone like you in a _long_ time!"

He now began to rain down a fury of one handed swings upon the spear, forcing Ikkaku to stand his ground. Each impact numbed his arms, every strike nearly buckled his knees. Sweat beaded off his brow and onto his neck.

Each attack was coming faster and faster, and now the ground cratered beneath his feet. This was no man he was fighting, no mere human wielded this kind of strength! This man, was a monster!

Ikkaku skidded back as something drove hard into his chest, then realized that it looked like small sphere of blue light, and whatever it was, it smacked him into a building.

Hard.

He clamored up-

And the blade pierced the wall an inch from his face. Unable to take the blow, the stone crumbled and fell to pieces. Having lost his footing, the bald man stumbled backwards.

Naruto was there again, and now he had to whirl about, somehow catching the long blade on his pole. Somehow, this strike was even stronger then the last, and it took every fiber of his being to not go to his knees from the impact.

The blond laughed wildly, as Ikkaku paled in fear.

"You...just what the hell are you?"

Blood dripped into Naruto's eye, and he pulled some hair out of his eyes.

"I only give my name to those I kill."

The insult stung, but was ignored.

It took a lot to surprise Ikkaku Madarame. Even more to actually scare him shitless. But what he had just seen, bordered on the edge of demonic-no, it was demonic. That grin, that power, the reiatsu he had felt emanating from the man, was like nothing he had ever seen or felt before.

It was almost like a hollow, but it _wasn't_ a hollow.

All this from a human?

Not wanting to take the chance of getting cut up like that again, the bald man took the opening he saw, when the berserker seemed to turn away for a second.

"Never let go of your sword!" Cried Ikkaku, springing forward with the spear-

POOF!

The shadow clone vanished.

It was a feint, and his actions had proved to be a mistake.

A hand seized his shoulder.

Naruto was now behind him. His blade was raised high, and its edge now gleamed in the early morning light. His eyes were cold, but now they held a measure of respect.

His eyes shimmered for a second, with the massive power he held at his command.

"You fought well." He commended. "But its over."

Time seemed to slow as he began to mouth the words. Ikkaku's eyes tripled as the sun itself seemed to dip into the blade, radiating golden brilliance from the heavens itself.

"Kuso!"

"Raisu Tenshou." **(Cutting wind)** He whispered.

Wounded as he was, Madarame simply didn't have the _time_ to move.

A wall of wind slammed into him, with such force and intensity that it actually cut into his skin, ripping open gashes about his arms, chest and legs. Though he had tried to block at the last second with his spear, the wind now effortlessly sliced through his spear, and cut into him further, spiralling into a twister than maintained its position.

The blond waved a hand, and the windstorm subsided. For a moment, Ikkaku seemed to just hang there. Then gravity desired to exert its claim on him once more. With a sigh, he fell to the ground, his spear broken, his body battered, bloody and beaten.

The blood began to pool under his body.

"Later." Naruto stated, blade slung over his shoulder and turning to go-

A hand seized his leg, holding him fast.

**(Like how Kenpachi does it)**

"Wait! You have to end it!" Protested Ikkaku.

Naruto looked down over his shoulder.

"End it? Why the hell should I do that?"

"Of course!" He cried, struggling to his elbows. "Any fight is a fight to the death!"

Naruto frowned.

"I don't kill weaklings. Now that you can't fight, I don't give a rats ass about ya."

"What're you scared?!"

In a second, the blond had him by the collar.

He dragged him close, and snarled:

"Quit yer bitching' if ya like fightin' so much!"

Ikkaku winced.

"The hell?"

"Don't just accept defeat and beg for death! Accept it _after _you're dead!" His eyes now seemed to shine with a manic light. "Survive and kill the one who couldn't kill you!"

Ikkaku was held fast by that bloodlust.

"Its not like I held back. The only reason your alive is luck! I didn't show you any mercy!"

_'This guy..._

"Live." He ordered. "Live and come try to kill me again."

He released Ikkaku, and let him fall to the ground.

"I'll be waiting."

As if by a silent command, Tessai appeared beside him.

"You let him live." He stated this as a fact.

"Of course. Like I said, weaklings don't interest me."

"Regardless, we must be going."

"Fine, lead the way."

With that, he began to walk away.

"Wait! At least tell me your name!"

Naruto paused, looked over his shoulder again. He grinned, in an almost shark-like smile, exposing his teeth.

"Uzumaki Naruto." An ominous aura seemed to emanate from this man, yet it was pure, directed, and had a clear contrite purpose. "Remember it. The next time ya hear it, it'll be the name of the one who killed a god."

And then they were gone.

**Hope ya liked it! Please review!**


	5. Wayward

Ikkaku slowly opened his eyes, squinting them against the light. "How are you feeling?" A gentle voice asked.

Retsu Unohana.

He knew who was treating him without even seeing them, and he felt his body relaxing.

"Thirsty..." He rasped out.

"Take it easy, and try to drink something." She felt a glass of what she assumed was water placed at her lips, and her assumption was confirmed an instant later as the cool liquid washed into her mouth. "So you were fighting a jinchuuriki,, hmm. I thought the wounds looked similar to what one of them would produce. But I've never heard of one strong enough to fight a shinigami before."

"I've never seen one either, until _him_."

"Did you release your bankai on him? I didn't feel it, but I wasn't looking for anything like that at the time."

"No, he beat me when I was just using shikai. We seemed to be about evenly matched, then he raised his power and did a number on my ass. Kicked me around pretty good too."

"Well, that's good to hear. With the hatred that humans have toward shinigami, I'd be a little frightened if there was one that could defeat one in bankai." Retsu turned away to mark something on a chart, and his thoughts drifted back to what the blond had said. _'Live! Live so you can come and fight me again!.'_

"By the way," Retsu said, drawing Ikkaku's attention back to her. "Do you know who healed you?" Seeing the baffled expression on his face, Retsu sighed. "I guess not. Someone partially healed you before you were found. It was a fairly skilled job, too, although it was obvious they only intended to stabilize you."

"Do you think it was the gaki?" He almost didn't want to hear the answer. The _last_ thing he wanted was to be indebted to that insufferable human. Retsu's next words dispelled that fear.

"No, this was definitely the work of kido, some other shinigami found and healed you before we were called in. Yumichika called for us when he found you, and I know he doesn't know medical kido."

"You're right, he doesn't-" Any conversation was cut off as a reiatsu as powerful as any he had ever felt slammed into his senses. At this distance, he wasn't truly affected by it, but the sheer power made the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up. Glancing over at Unohana, he saw that the older captain wasn't affected at all.

"Its him." Wheezed Madarame, trying to rise. "He's still nearby...

A hand to the neck, and a pressure point was squeezed.

He passed out, the blackness taking him...

--

_In a small corner a young girl was covered in bruises and a pool of tears were sliding down her face, she had just entered the eighth division and her new experiences were not joyful. Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps coming towards her and she tried desperately to hide her sorrowful tears but, to no avail she could not and the footstep stopped abruptly when the small child was seen. _

"_What's wrong?", a tall man had asked her after kneeling down to Nanao's level._

"_Nothing!", she snapped back harsher than she intended._

"_Now now, then why are you crying, gaki?" Chided the voice._

"_I don't belong here", Nanao finally replied to the man after shaking her head sideways._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_One of the shinobi here said that I was just a kid and would never be nothing more than a little pet!"_

_He arched an eyebrow._

"_He's a fool for saying that and he will pay", He exclaimed with anger in his voice._

_He stood up, and a rasp was heard as the sword was drawn._

"_But he's right!!", Nanao screamed as more tears down their way down to her quivering lips_

_"We shall see," He hissed. "Who is in the right."_

_The sound of footsteps, and then his voice again._

_"OI! You there! Where you the one who made this girl cry?!"_

_"Yeah, what about it-_

_"Tessai!"_

_"Hai."_

_"Slice him up!"_

_"I suppose we have no choice now..._

_A scream, and Nanao looked up just in time to see the elegant blade weave a tornado, followed by a similari spell from the kido master, one that catapaulted the officer high into the heavens. He screamed as he went, and crashed into a wall._

_The man snapped his blade back into his sheathe._

_"Has anyone else insulted this girl?" _

_Everyone bolted out of the room._

_Tsking, he shook his head, and walked back to her. _

_As he walked, his demeanor changed. Gone was the manic light in his eyes, and his jawline unclenched. His shoulder sagged slightly, and his step became more casual, hands resting on his knees when he knelt down to her level._

_"Child, what is your name?"_

_"N-Nanao I-Ise." She stammered._

"_Nanao, that's a lovely name." She hiccuped with a small sob, and he patted her lightly on the head. "Sh, sh. I want you to listen to this small tale I have for you", He told her as she found a comfortable position in his lap, looking up at him with her tear stained eyes._

"_In a small village there lived a young princess who was destined to be queen just like her mother. The queen was the most graceful women in the whole village and her hands were small and petite that anything she took hold of in her hands was cradled gently and seemed to be gaining a slight sparkle in their appearance, almost as if she was healing them. Now, the princess was nothing like her majestic mother for she was not graceful at all, when she walked into a room she would trip over her large feet and ruin all the merchants merchandise and her hands matched her feet for they were large and would not heal items but would crush them. The princess saw herself as the last person that should become __queen on the other hand her mother saw something more inside her daughter, she saw great potential and the beauty of an angel. One day, the princess was crying in her room and when her mother heard her sobbing she went to check up on her._

"_Nana what is wrong?", her mother called to her with great concern for her little girl._

"_I can't do it", Nana replied in a monotone voice_

"_Do what?", the queen asked her daughter._

"_Become a queen like you."_

"_I'm not graceful like you or pretty like you I don't deserve the title queen", Nana continued._

"_Nana I need you to listen to me when I tell you this." _

"_Everyone has a road that leads them to greatness and as long as you keep fighting forward you will become great!"_

"_Is that true?", little Nanao asked himafter she finished the story._

_He grinned, cheerily._

"_Of course it is so forget what everyone says and keep fighting", Her assured Nanao as he patted her on the back. She blushed lightly under his kind caring words. "Never, ever give up, ya got that?"_

_"W-What about you?"_

_He rose, scratched the back of his head._

_"Me? Just passin through." He glanced towards Tessai. "Gotta get goin' anyways."_

_"C-Can I come with you?"_

_He paused, in midstep._

_"Eh?"_

_"I want to go with you."_

_"Well-_

_She adjusted her glasses, and held tightly the large book which she always carried._

_"Please sir? I won't be a bother!"_

_"Sir? Cut it out gaki, yer makin' me feel old."_

_"Then...may I ask your name?"_

_He seemed to consider it for a moment._

_"Name's Uzumaki Naruto."_

_Another moment of silence, whilst Tessai looked on with practiced patience._

_"Ya still wanna come with me?"_

_She nodded eagerly._

_"I'm gonna be in a lotta fights-_

_Her lower lip trembled slightly._

_"People are after me."_

_Her violet eyes now swam with tears and the poor thing looked like she was about to burst. He had the distinct feeling that if he did leave her be, then everyone would stay away from her, due the brief act of violence he had just committed._

_That, and the sight of an innocent child like this-nay, the thought of leaving such a youth all alone in this world..._

_Made his heart, or what was left of it, ache._

_"Please?"_

_He stared at her for a second, then reached down, his resolve broken by a strange mixture of pity and sadness._

_"Alright."_

_"Eep!" She squeaked, as he set her on his shoulder. He was a tall fellow, and she now had a great view of everything around her. Her legs swayed to and fro happily, and she actually felt a smile tugging at her face._

_"Hang on, Nanao-chan." She gripped tightly his shoulders. "Its about to get rough-_

_The door burst in seconds later._

_"There he is!"_

_"HERE WE GO!" He roared, leaping into the fray!_

_--_

_(One bloodbath later)_

Naruto shook his head, chuckling lightly at the day old memory.

After a night's stay, the unlikely trio had woken at the crack of dawn to continue their journey.

Or rather, two of them had.

Nanao Ise still slept soundly in the arms of her guardian as they walked. A small smile was plastered on her young face, and for the first time since he had met her, she looked content. Tessai had healed her wounds, and she was doing just fine now. Ironically, she was using her _book_ for a pillow, whilst his arms cradled her gently.

"You have a habit of attracting unwanted attention." Tessa Murmurred, as everyone stared at them.

They were nearly at the gates now, and then they would be out of the Mist, and half of the way to the Shiba's place.

He remembered the very first time he set eyes upon Ise Nanao. Unusual for her age, the little girl had the knowledge privy to a kage level shinobi. Tessai had mumbled that her skill was probably that of a fifth seat, whatever the hell that was. Also, her thick glasses seemed too big for her face. But, he saw much potential in the young one. Granted, he had doubts about Nanao's skills with the blade, but when it came to these _spells_, the girl was all right, he thought.

She'd completely healed him after his fight with the mist shinobi.

With some luck, she might become a great shinobi herself...

He brushed down a strand of dark raven black hair from her glasses.

"Its a gift."

--

(Elsewhere, Iwa)

"So, he's headed to Kukaku's house." Stated the man, looking at the reflective surface of the mirror. It depicted the group leaving the gates of the village, then summarily vanishing from sight, as they moved faster than the spy could keep up with. "Though I didn't expect him to pick up a child."

"Looks like it." Came the low and sultry voice of a woman, her golden orbs the only aspect of her seen in the shadowy darkness. A pink tongue darted out to lick at her full lips." She's kinda cute though. Maybe she'll rub off on him."

"Regardless, the Shiba clan'll take good care of him-

"And then send him our way." Came the voice of another, and a man with a perpetual smirk on his face emerged into the dim lighting. He had light purple hair, and his eyes seemed to be perpetually closed.

"Have you made the neccesary preparations, Gin?"

The deceptive man seemed to smile even wider.

"Of course. Wasn't easy though, and I think Urahara's on to us."

"It would explain why Tessai is escorting him to Kukaku. He thinks that'll keep him safe from us." Replied the first, the one who reclined in an easy chair, the kage hat still hiding his face in obscurity. "But it matters not. The wayward son will soon return home."

Once Tessai guided the boy to Kukaku, he would return to the land of fire. And once he did, the immediate factor affecting the jinchuuriki's judgement would be removed.

There was a reason Naruto was hated and loathed so. True, he _was_ the son of the fourth, a widely known fact. But less known, only to those in the upper echelons of society, was a terrible secret.

Naruto...

Had been born in Iwa.

Minato Namikaze was in reality, an Iwa shinobi, one who had defected to Konoha, shortly before the war. Hence the village's intense hatred towards him, and Konoha's own revulsion of the their greatest enemy.

The first man smiled lightly, as he felt a reaitsu bloom in the distance.

"Good. He's noticed them. Lets leave them be...

For now....

"I look forward to meeting you in person, Naruto."

**Next: The man with two faces: Cleansing Kaien Shiba!**


End file.
